Misleading Contradictions
by Kyki
Summary: Harry PotterNaruto Crossover. Due to a new alliance with Voldemort, Orochimaru aids in the capture of Harry Potter. When Naruto gets thrown into the mix, Harry sees that their might be more to a certain Uchiha than meets the eye. NaruSasu SasuNaru
1. Chapter 1

**Misleading Contradictions**

_Chapter One_

Not even the faintest trace of sunlight could be detected within the dank dungeon of sorts, no windows around to provide fresh air and light. The bars of the teenager's cell were cold and unforgiving, preventing him from escaping. A soft growl escaped his lips as he griped the bars, resting his forehead against them in frustration as his mind replayed the events that had occurred one week ago.

_The grand hall was filled with chattering students, reminiscing of their summer flings and activities while enjoying the vast amount of delectable that had been placed at each of their tables. A few glares were being exchanged between the Slytherin and Gryffindor, since the two had never been on very good terms. Harry could hear Ron and Hermione greeting a few of the new first years that'd be in their year before promptly starting to bicker with each other. A small grin tugged at Harry's lips, knowing that such behavior was perfectly normal, if not expected. In fact, he would suspect something was wrong with them if they did anything different. Their banter was simply a part of their strange relationship, both unwilling to admit their feelings for the other._

_The brunette glanced over at the staff table, narrowed eyes locked on one particular teacher: Severus Snape. The older man seemed uncharacteristically anxious, casting fleeting looks at his surroundings every once in a while. Snape must have realized someone was watching him, however, for his expression returned to normal and he met Harry's gaze head on, sneering incredulously._

_Harry returned the hateful look with on of his own before looking away, his mind churning over the possible reasons for Snape's nervousness. Fingertips brushed against his scar when it suddenly began to sting, a tingling sensation washing over the bewildered youth. What the hell….?_

_A foreboding gust of wind traveled through the room and the light of the candles flickered dangerously until they completely died away, leaving the hall dark. Harry looked up in alarm, turning to where he could hear Ron and Hermione's surprised exclamations. He relaxed with a start that no windows had been open, nor a door, so how could there have been any wind?_

_The silence the sudden darkness had caused erupted into gasps, cries, and shouts when figures began moving within the room. Soon, the room was engulfed in light once more, thanks to the staff, and no one could comprehend what was going on. It seemed that within mere moments, the whole placed had been turned to chaos, strange beings running this way and that. The scent of blood soon reached Harry's nose, just as he noticed one of the men coming towards him. He was strangely dressed, with a head band of some sort around his forehead. The shinobi, recognizing Harry as his intended target, smirked mirthlessly before moving quickly forward. Harry yanked his wand from his robe, prepared to cast of spell of some sort. The man was much too fast, however, and the Potter boy soon found himself disarmed. Harry looked on with surprise as the man worked through a few hand signs and before Harry could even think of getting away, his world went black._

_When he awoke, he found himself being dragged down a hall by two woman who were dressed very similarly to the man who had attacked him earlier. He was no longer at Hogwarts, that was obvious, but just where was he? And who were these people?_

_Harry now understood why Snape had seemed so strange. He had been expecting the attack, no doubt, and was probably how the beings had managed to get into the castle undetected. Hands curled into fists as he glared daggers at the two people who led him down the hall, demanding answers._

_"You are in The Hidden Village of Sound. We are the shinobi of Orochimaru, a new ally of the man you know as Lord Voldemort. You have been captured due to his wishes. You will behave yourself if you know what's good with you, though.. We aren't the type to let you of the hook just because we intend to give you away."_

_The woman's eyes had been filled with absolute malice._

Harry's musings were interrupted when he heard footsteps coming down the dank hall that the dungeons lined. Looking up, he recognized the pale, dark-haired shinobi immediately. Whenever Harry was allowed out of his cage, which was surprisingly often, Sasuke was always the one that came and got him. Not that Sasuke particularly liked wasting his time dealing with Orochimaru's prisoner, of course, and often made the fact that he considered babysitting beneath him quite clear. As expected, the dark-haired boy stopped in front of Harry cell, unlocking the door and pushing it open. He failed to bestow even a mere word of greeting towards the boy, simply motioned him to come out.

Harry Potter's first impression of the Uchiha prodigy had been that he unpleasantly reminded him of the oh-so infamous Draco Malfoy. Well, perhaps not his very first impression, since he highly doubted that the blond would ever be caught pressed up against the wall with a snake-looking man's tongue shoved down his throat. Indeed, if Harry remember correctly, Orochimaru had been fully prepared to continue shamelessly groping the object of his obsession even with the wizard's presence, had it not been for Kabuto's soft cough. Harry had been able to notice that Sasuke had showed no reaction, whether it be negative or positive, to Orochimaru's advances. Therefore, the boy-who-lived assumed that such occurrences happened on a daily basis. Had it not been for his stubborn pride, he would have shuddered at that thought.

However, after only a week of being Sound's prisoner, Harry quickly reconsidered his earlier opinion about the similarities between Sasuke and Draco. Of course, they were both rather arrogant and didn't seem to give a damn about anyone other than themselves, but that was about as far as it went. While Draco was the type to claim he was powerful even though he wasn't particularly elite, the Uchiha's greatness was much more evident. Though perhaps not as powerful as Orochimaru, if their training sessions were anything to go by, he certainly wasn't an amateur. He was from a good family line and was undoubtedly proud of it, since he had once slammed another of Orochimaru's subordinates against a wall for daring to insult the Uchiha name, but didn't seem to hide behind it. Still, despite his obvious power, Harry found Sasuke rather infuriating. He was just so.. Indifferent.

Harry glared at the other as he was led away from the cell. The people of Sound didn't consider him a threat, that much was obvious. He had no wand, and though they didn't either, they weren't the ones who need one. Harry had been so desperate to escape when he had first arrived that he even tried copying some of the thought hand signals he had seen Sasuke use. Which had only caused the Uchiha to roll his eyes when he noticed, as well a short 'you're doing them wrong. Besides, you can't do them anyway.'

Sasuke simply returned Harry's glare, making his way through the various corridors before stopping in front of one particular room: Orochimaru's chambers. He entered without bothering to even knock- It was a well known fact that Sasuke rarely had to follow the usual policies of Sound and often did things that would have gotten him killed had he not been Orochimaru's 'favorite' and his future body.

Orochimaru looked up when Sasuke and Harry entered, smiling a sadistic little grin that nearly caused Harry to shiver. "Thank you, Sasuke-Kun. I know you don't like taking time out of your training to fetch him." His words were met with silence, though he didn't seem bothered. Turning his gaze over to Harry, he smirked lightly. "There's been a change of plans. We were originally going to give you up to Voldemort, but have decided to keep you, since he had failed to hold up his end of our bargain."

"Bargain?" Harry repeated, knowing that despite their different languages, he understood them and they understood him. No doubt thanks to a translation charm, courtesy of Snape, Harry suspected. Orochimaru didn't bother explain any further just what their deal had been, simply stated that the boy-who-lived would be staying for a while, until they decided what to do with him. Harry was about to yell at the man, too determined to just let the man keep him there, but any advances in conversation were interrupted by Kabuto's sudden appearance.

The silver-haired man allowed his gaze to sweep across each of the people present, a misleading smile gracing his features. "Orochimaru-Sama, I thought you might like to know that the Kyuubi vessel was caught snooping around a moment ago. We managed to catch him.."

For the first time since he'd been there, Harry saw Sasuke's nonchalant composer crack, if only for just a second. For the briefest of moments, surprise, along with another emotion that Harry couldn't quite places, flashed through his onyx eyes. However, the change vanished as quickly as it appeared, though Harry noticed that the other boy's fists were clenched. Without so much as a word to any of them, Sasuke stomped out of the room, heading in the direct he and Harry had once come. Not sure what to do, Harry followed after him with mild curiosity, Orochimaru striding after them as well while Kabuto merely smirked knowingly.

Quite a bit of commotion could be heard coming from one of the cells. "Bastards! Where the hell is he, huh! I'm Naruto Uzumaki, you can't keep me in here for long, ya know!"

Sasuke arrived at the cell first, standing before it in all his Uchiha-glory. Naruto's yells instantly hushed and for several moments, the two just stared at the other, taking in their appearance. The dungeons were dark, but the pair could still see each other clearly- If not with their eyes, then with their very souls. Both had matured when it came to appearance, no longer the twelve-year-old boys they had been three years prior. Naruto had lost he childish attributes and had turned out quite handsome. Even with his juvenile appearance long gone, he still upheld a sense of immaturity that had been the very reason he was considered the number-one-loudest-ninja.

The Uchiha had been rather fortunate in the looks department when he was younger, any girl in the village would vouch for that, and it seemed that his beauty had grown even more. His feature's were delicate, but still very much so that of the young man he was. He was taller than before as well, his ebony locks just a tad longer than they had been, though still in the same style. What caught Naruto's attention was the ninja headband the other boy wore, which wouldn't had been all that special had it not been for the fact it was no longer that of Konoha, but of Sound. The fifteen-year-old's eyes had also changed, Naruto noticed. Those eyes seemed colder than before. In fact, Naruto would have thought of them as lifeless if it weren't for the spark of pure fury that was evident within them. However, as soon as the others had arrived, the anger disappeared and he looked at his former teammate with little emotion.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Sasuke hissed.

Naruto glared at him, crossing his arms indignantly. "What do you think, Sasuke-Teme? I mad ea promise three years ago that I'd bring you back. I'm not going to go back on my word. I'm here to drag your ass back home, even if I have to do it with you kicking and screaming."

Harry was quite surprised how blunt and disrespectful the blonde was towards Sasuke and immediately decided that he liked the boy. He was even more surprised, however, when Sasuke didn't lash out at Naruto's words. Obviously the two knew each other, but Harry had a feeling that something much more profound had occurred between them, than being simple acquaintances.

Before Sasuke could reply, Orochimaru snaked his arms around the younger male's waist, smirking openly at Naruto. "You tried that before and failed. You don't honestly believe you can succeeded..?"

The wizard hadn't failed to miss the almost pained look within Naruto's blue eyes when Orochimaru had embraced the former ninja of Konoha and his curiosity peaked just slightly, despite the felt he felt quite out of place in the whole situation. Naruto's hurt expression turned to disgust soon enough and apparently decided to ignore Orochimaru's comment, his next words directed at Sasuke. "Feh, bastard. When the snake said he wanted your body, I hadn't thought he meant that in more than one way. Are you proud of yourself, Sasuke? Becoming Orochimaru's little whore!" He snapped, glaring daggers at the Uchiha. Their banter wasn't like it had been. No, these insults weren't being made out of secret fondness or for the sake of getting the other worked up. The words Naruto were spouting were meant to hurt, in retaliation for Sasuke's willingness to hurt **him**.

Naruto's accusation caused the shinobi to snap and without warning, he reached through the bars and grabbed the blonde's collar, yanking the other forward so that he was pressed up against the bars. Naruto didn't struggle, simply returned the glare. After a moment, Sasuke loosened his grip and shoved the other back, opening the cell just wide enough to push Harry into it. Closing and locking it, Sasuke glanced over at Orochimaru.

"Come, Sasuke-Kun. We have many things to.. Discuss."

Though Sasuke would never admit it, he wanted to stay. He wanted to see Naruto, despite everything that had occurred during the past few years. He had missed the idiot, but knew that having any connection to the aspiring Hokage would be a liability for him. Sasuke couldn't' afford any weakness. Not uttering a word, the boy turned away from the cell and followed after Orochimaru, glancing at his reflection as he passed the metal wall that signified the start of the dungeons. Eyes widen just slightly at what he saw. His Sharigan had activated? Had Naruto's words really effected him that much? "Dobe." Sasuke whispered softly, shaking his head before quickening his pace, ignoring Orochimaru's gaze.

* * *

**Kyki's Corner**

Hola! Yet another story by Yours Truly. I love Harry Potter/Naruto crossovers, so If igured I'd make one. But I didn't want to make one with the same plotline as all the others, so this came up. Heh. Sorry for the shortness, I'm in a rush at the moment and can't spend more time on it right now. Well, enjoy. )

Chapter Preview:

_"Who's Sasuke? He's the most arrogant, selfish, foolish bastard there ever was. But ya know what? That's just what he wants people to think."_


	2. Chapter 2

_--Blah-- _Flashbacks. Just in case people get confused. n.n

_Blah _Thouhts. And then there's the usual stuff for speaking.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Naruto. If I did, Naruto and Sasuke wouldn't be in denial. Heh. This is the only time I'm going to bothering with the disclaimer, but by the way.

* * *

**Misleading Contradictions**

_Chapter Two_

Sasuke stared up at the face of his 'master,' the future inhabitant of his body. He had found himself in this position various times before, pinned to the bed with the older man looming over him, doing whatever he wished. Many people had been interested in him in the past, from his rabid fan girls to the occasional fan boy. However, Orochimaru's obsession with his apprentice had always seemed so unnerving to the fifteen-year-old, perhaps because he could do nothing against it.

So whenever Sasuke found himself at Orochimaru's bidding, he simply forced himself to go along with it all, blocking out any distress with repeating 'It'll all be worth it. I have to do this, I have to do this to get stronger. Everything will be worth getting my revenge. Everything' over and over in his head. Sometimes his soft moans were fake, other times they were real, it all depended. Of course, Sasuke knew that Orochimaru could probably tell when his reactions weren't sincere, but that never matter to the Sannin. To Orochimaru, a moan was a moan. Although he did prefer it when Sasuke reacted more vigorously, but Naruto's arrival had obviously unsettled him some- The Uchiha seemed less responsive than usual.

"You know, Sasuke-Kun.." The man drawled, looking over at the Uchiha who was currently gathering his discarded clothing, mutter something along the lines of 'where the hell is my shirt?' under his breath. "You seem awfully worked up. Could a certain blond be the reason?"

Sasuke instantly whirled around, his mind drifting away from locating his various articles of clothing. The extent of his glare was quite remarkable, surprising even Orochimaru even though he had predicted such a reaction. The teenager's glower practically promised a slow and painful death, telling Orochimaru to tread carefully on the current subject. "I'm not worked up." Konoha's traitor made sure his words sounded confident and stern enough, but he was well aware that he was indeed 'worked up,' his blood still boiling over Naruto's insistence on dragging him back home. Home.. Ha, like there was such a thing. Sasuke's chance at having a home had died years ago, when Itachi decided that he was going to kill the clan. The day that Itachi decided that Sasuke was to be the one with the burden of revenge on his shoulders.

…But hadn't he found a home with Naruto and the others? Not in the physical sense, of course, since they all had lived apart. Still, wasn't the whole concept really about a home's atmosphere and sense of belonging instead of the structure itself?

Immediately Sasuke brushed such thoughts away, silently reprimanding himself fiercely. How dare such musings present themselves! Staying with the other wouldn't have helped him. Nothing so ridiculous as having a best friend would have benefited him in the long run. Just as his older sibling had said, Sasuke needed more hatred. Until he acquired the needed level of loathing and power, he'd never succeed in Itachi's demise.

Realizing that he had spaced out, the prodigy blinked slightly, forcing himself out of his reflections of the past. Orochimaru was staring at him, golden eyes narrowed in a way that almost caused the raven-haired male to shudder. Apparently Orochimaru had said something, and upon not receiving a reply, had noticed just how out-of-it his future host was. Sasuke simply hated it when Orochimaru could read him like a book.

"Am I dismissed?" Sasuke inquired sharply, not bothering to ask what Orochimaru had been saying, nor did he try to come up with an excuse to explain his brief daze. The snake-man probably already knew, after all. The damn bastard always did. It was rather infuriating, really, how Sasuke could fool almost everyone but Orochimaru.

Watching as the other hastily slipped on his clothes, Orochimaru observed him quietly. He had been talking about how Sasuke could easily kill Naruto off and gain the Mangekyou Sharingan, but apparently Sasuke had been too lost in thought to hear him. Perhaps it was just as well, though, since Sasuke's reaction would probably been that of extreme anger. The youngest Uchiha had once stated that he refused to develop power as Itachi had, unwilling to kill his best friend just because that was what Itachi wanted. Of course, the foolish boy was too stubborn to realize that by getting revenge, he was also doing what his brother wanted. Naturally, Orochimaru never bothered to point this out, since Sasuke's thirst for power was what made him so easy to manipulate- Not to mention that fact Sasuke was even more delectable than usual during his fits of fury. Deciding that it'd be better if he didn't repeat his earlier suggestion, Orochimaru merely stated, "Sasuke-Kun… Do try to be careful."

Taking this as a 'yes, you many go' Sasuke gave a short nod before stalking out of the man's chambers, running a hand through his mussy hair and straightening his clothes a bit out of habit. Their antics was no secret in Sound, all the shinobi knew about Orochimrau's lust for the teenager, but that didn't mean Sasuke liked to flaunt the relationship. He was particularly proud of it, actually. Being Orochimaru's favorite was one thing, but to be his screw toy was a whole 'nother thing entirely.

_--"Feh, bastard. When the snake said he wanted your body, I hadn't thought he meant that in more than one way. Are you proud of yourself, Sasuke? Becoming Orochimaru's little whore!"--_

Sasuke inwardly flinched as he recalled his former teammate's furious accusations. Naruto just didn't understand, Sasuke knew. If it meant getting what he wanted in the end, what was the point of having too many morals? By giving Orochimaru was he desired, the snake-man was returning the favor by training Sasuke. Over the years, he had certainly gotten significantly stronger, so much so that controlling Level Two of the seal was almost child's play. So what did it matter if Sasuke let himself be used? He'd cease to exist soon enough, anyway. That was another good thing about their deal, really. Everyone had always said 'what are you going to do after you kill Itachi? Revenge isn't everything!' There was little doubt in Sasuke's mind that those who spouted such words were just trying to get him to rethink his options, not that it ever worked. Honestly, Sasuke hadn't been sure what he'd do after getting his revenge. Restore his clan, he supposed, though he wasn't all that sure. But now, there was nothing to plan, since after Itachi's defeat, he'd have to hold up his end of the bargain.

Sometimes Sasuke wondered what would happen to him after Orochimaru entered his body. Would Sasuke simply be dead? Or would he be just a voice at the best of Orochimaru's mind, existing but not really there? The boy never bothered to ask the Sannin.

The Uchiha found himself making his way idly towards the dungeons, not really meaning to go there. "Damn it all." He muttered, chuckling darkly under his breath, his words laced with bitterness. "It figures that my body would end up reacting to the dobe already, disobeying my mind. I really don't want to see Naruto. Yet.. I do." He whispered hoarsely, growling under his breath in frustration. Sasuke wanted to know what was going on in Konoha, how Sakura was doing… Was Kakashi still always late? Was Shikamaru still lazy? Has he finally hooked up with Ino yet? Had Naruto gotten stronger? Had Naruto finally get sick from eating so much Ramen? Was Naruto a Chuunin now? Or maybe, perhaps, a Jounin? Did Naruto still want to be Hokage? Was the blond still an idiot? Sasuke nearly rolled his eyes. Of course Naruto was. If he wasn't, he wouldn't be sitting in a cell, no doubt chatting that Potter boy to death.

Making it a point to ignore that fact that he wondered more about Naruto than anyone else, Sasuke stubborn turned away from the dungeon's entrance, leaning his back against the wall with a sigh.

Truth be told, Sasuke actually didn't know about the deal that had taken place between Orochimaru and Voldemort. He knew that some transaction had been discussed, but Orochimaru had avoiding answering Sasuke when the boy had asked about it. Which was rather odd, considering the fact Orochimaru rare found keeping things from Sasuke necessary.

Ebony gaze once against drifted towards the dungeons. Why Voldemort wanted the wizard was none of his business and frankly, Sasuke really didn't care. Harry could have been about to be sacrificed to the Devil himself and Sasuke wouldn't have giving a rat's ass. However, Sasuke couldn't help but be mildly curious as to what Orochimaru had been supposed to be given in return for Harry's capture.

Shrugging slightly, Sasuke slid down to the floor, leaning against the wall with a heavy sigh.

--------

For the past two hours, Harry had simply watched as the blonde, who was named 'Naruto' if memory served him, paced the cell and muttered to himself. The shinobi had attempted conversation with the wizard, and Harry really had put an effort since he was mildly intrigued by Naruto, but everything just seemed awkward. Naruto was a ninja while Harry was a wizard. They might as well have been worlds apart. Yet, there they both were, stuck in a cramped little cell with no way to escape. Not that escaping was what was really on Naruto's mind, of course, since he found himself continuously plagued by thoughts of a certain raven-haired traitor.

The blond didn't halt in his vigorous pacing, walking back and forth along the cell's front, sometimes running his fingers along the bars. IWhat the hell had that bastard been thinking, coming to a place like this! I promised Sakura-Chan I'd bring him back. There's no way I'm going to fail like last time./I Thinking of the confrontation those three years ago caused the fifteen-year-old to flinch slightly, blue eyes fluttering closed. Sasuke had been serious when he said he'd kill him. Yet, at the end, the Uchiha had left him very much so alive. He could have easily finished him off while he was unconscious, but instead Sasuke and merely left him there.

A small smile graced the blonde's features at the thought. Perhaps there was hope for Sasuke yet! Still, there was chance that Sasuke had changed over the years. He had seemed even more arrogant and antisocial than before, after all. "If he did change, than I'll just have to knock some sense into him." Naruto decided firmly, not meaning to speak the words aloud.

"What?"

Naruto blinked, looking over at Harry's puzzled gaze. _Oh yeah, he's here to.. Eh heh._ "Nothing, I was just thinking about how I'm gonna beat Sasuke-teme until he either agrees to come back with me willingly or I have to literally drag him. Either way I'm going to pound him first."

"You both.. Know each other, then?" Harry asked, resisting the urge to groan at the fact the had just stated the obvious. He wasn't sure about just what was going on between the two shinobi. We they enemies? No, Harry had a feeling that they had at one point been acquaintances.

The future Hokage looked at the boy, as if really observing him for the first time. He was really.. Weird. His attire was that of robes of some sort, which he figured had been the clothing Harry was brought in, and had a strange accent that adorned his words. Needless to say, Naruto doubted he was from anywhere close by.

"Yeah. Sasuke-Teme and I used to be on a team together." He replied, trying his best to act cheerful, but unfortunately, failed miserably. Looking away from the older boy grimly, Naruto sighed. "We were rivals, too, ya know. And best friends, or at least, I'd like to think so." Hell, he'd also like to think that Sasuke had considered them best friends as well. The paler boy had admitted that he thought of Naruto as such, but after certain events, Naruto couldn't help but wonder if he had been lying.

Harry tried not to seemed too surprised at the other's words, having not thought it possible for the two to have really been best friends. They seemed to be complete opposites with each other- Like the sun and moon, noise and silence, light and dark. It didn't take a genius to figure out which role was whose. Shaking his head, Harry silently reminding himself that sometimes opposites did attract. Like Hermione and Ron, for example.

A sense of dread washed over the seventeen-year-old when eh thought of his two best friends. Were they even alive, or have they fallen victim to the shinobi that had ambushed them all in the Great Hall? _No! Of course they're alive. Hermione is the most brilliant witch of our year. There's no way she'd let herself get killed. And Ron's.. Ron._ He imagined the tow in the library, Hermione dead-set on trying to find something that could explain harry's dissappearance while searching through the various novels she had looked through previous due to 'light reading.' He could practically see Ron leaning over her shoulder, trying to help only to get hushed by a ill-tempered Hermione.

"Who is he, anyway?" Harry finally spoke, looking over at Naruto with faint traces of curiosity, feeling a bit better after his little daydream. All he really knew about the Uchiha was his name and that he seemed to be relatively close with Orochimaru.

"Who's Sasuke? He's the most arrogant, selfish, foolish bastard there ever was. But ya know what? That's just what he wants people to think." Naruto paused before continuing, gazing up at the dirt ceiling of the cell thoughtfully. "Don't get me wrong. He is arrogant and selfish and is definitely a bastard. But that isn't everything he is. He was always the best at everything, from fighting to getting the girl."

Naruto went on the briefly explain about their days as teammates, his voice growing uncharacteristically soft when he mentioned the fight with Haku. When Sasuke had jumped in to save him.. Naruto had hardly believed it. It had meant so much to him, even if he'd never admit it. Perhaps even more so than it would have is Sakura had been the one to do it. Sasuke had always been the one to disregard Naruto, to think of him as a burden. The dark-haired boy's dreams had been so important to him, even back then. And yet, he had been willing to throw his life away to save that of his teammate's, even after he always claimed to dislike the blonde misfit.

Sasuke Uchiha, someone who had so many plans, had risked his life for someone like Naruto Uzumaki. That, even if some didn't realize it, meant a lot.

The teenager continued with the tale, excitement sometimes creeping into his tone when he spoke about the vast amount of missions Team Seven had participated in. However, when he got to the point of the battle at the Valley of the End, Naruto skipped much of the details, settling with simply 'Then we fought and he beat me.' Not even the others back at Konoha knew of all the facts as to what had gone on during the fight.. There was no way Naruto was about to tell a perfect stranger. "And so, here I am."

Harry had listened with surprising intensity, finding himself in awe at the story of the two. The pair seemed even younger than him, yet and done all that! And to think that people thought Harry was special. If they met Naruto, the wizard population would probably swoon with admiration.

Laying down across one of the flimsy mats that served as there bed, Harry offered a quick 'good night' before curling up upon it, closing his eyes and willing slumber to take him. However, he found himself unable to sleep, though still kept his eyes closed. A while later, he heard voices.

"Naruto, why the hell did you let yourself get caught? You're an idiot, but even you wouldn't let yourself be taken down by a bunch of Sound shinobi unless you weren't really trying."

Sasuke's voice, Harry noted. The boy must have come back to speak with Naruto.

"What's it to you, bastard! This was the quickest way to get to you. I told you, I'm going to take you back."

"Idiot! I should kill you right now. Don't you get it? You can die! No one in this place with give a second thought to just slaughtering you."

There was silence for several moments before,

"What about you? You really don't care?"

"Humph, why would I, dobe?"

Though Harry wasn't actually watching, since his eyes were closed, he could tell Naruto had tried to punch Sasuke through the bars of the cage. Surprisingly, Harry could tell by the soft sound of a fist meeting flesh that the hit had connected. But surely Sasuke wasn't stupid enough to fail avoiding a blow..? _Then.. Did that Sasuke guy let Naruto hit him?_

"Dobe, listen. You need to-"

Harry's eyes instantly snapped open when someone else's words cut the Uchiha off, recognizing the voice as one of the Sound shinobi that had brought him in.

"Sasuke-Sama, Lord Voldemort has arrived unexpected. Orochimaru-Sama requests your presence during the meeting. He wants you to bring the two prisoners."

* * *

**Kyki's Corner**

Dun, dun, dun! Thank you to all that reviewed so far.

Anyway, I'd just like to note that when it comes to Harry, I'm going to pretend that Snape's betrayl has yet to happen, nor is everyone's favorite Headmaster dead. Since he's seventeen, we can say this would be taking place during the seventh book. Also, none of my stories are beta'ed, therefore there are bound to be some typos and such. I try to at least skim and proofread everything, but sometimes I'm in a rush and miss things.

Some might notice that the rating changed from Teen to mature. This is due to the fact that, well, I ended up realizing that Sasuke and Naruto have very colorful vocabularies. Also, there are going to be some 'suggestive themes' here and there. however, I have no intention of putting in a full-blown lemon. Meh, I'd probably die from blushed. So basically, the rating just changed because of language and probably violence.


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you to everyone who reviewed! It was so appreciated. ) Since two of my reviewers had some questions, I decided to just answer them here.

**Kirril**- My, my, so many questions:D Did I mention that Harry was going to feel similarities towards someone? Hehe, yep, I bet I did and just have forgotten. Well, anyway, yes. Sorta. It was Sasuke I'm referring to, because I actually think they have a lot of similar things going on with them. Both are considered 'famous' in their respective places and both happen to have creepy snake-dudes coming after them. XD Though, admittedly, their personalities are quite different. And no, Naruto left out most of the information about the Uchiha clan when he explained to Harry about what was going on. He just briefly mentioned that Sasuke wanted revenge, just didn't say to whom. As for your last couple of questions.. They're sorta answered in this chapter. And what isn't confirmed can't be told just yet. Thanks for the review! I actually meant to update this earlier this weekend, but then I got distracted and lazy. But your review got me to start writing. Kudos.

**Kirallie**- Eh heh. Ironically I can answer pretty much none of those question. n.n;; But I can clear the Tom thing up. Harry is getting better at blocking out the pain, so it only happens once in a while. Which is why he wasn't able to accurately predict Voldemort's presence. Thanks for the review!

And now on to chapter three of Misleading Contradictions

* * *

**Misleading Contradictions**

_Chapter Three_

At first, only silence was met with the messenger's words, each person having their own expression. Harry's abrupt sitting up was proof enough that he had been awake the entire time, though it was doubtful that Naruto and Sasuke hadn't realized it even before Harry made it obvious. A look of pure hatred was etched across the wizard's features, hands clenched tightly. Naruto looked completely confused, having no idea just who this 'Voldemort' fellow was, while Sasuke seemed rather unnerved at something.

Scarlet eyes narrowed and flashed, flickering with suspicion as the Uchiha stared expectantly at Orochimaru's lackey. Really, he couldn't care less whether or not the so-called powerful dark lord had arrived, nor that it was likely that Harry was going to meet his fate in the near future. What had caught his attention, however, was that the messenger had mentioned bringing two prisoners, not just one. Not just Harry, but Naruto as well. Now, what could possibly be needed of Naruto's presence?

Noticing that the sound shinobi was still just standing there, Sasuke glared at him. "And just why are you still here?"

The messenger shifted on his feet nervously, no doubt having noticed the prodigy's rather foul mood. "Well, I thought.. That is, Orochimaru-Sama said that I should offer you my assistance in bringing the two runts to his quarters.."

"You're not needed. I'm more than capable of handling this on my own. Leave." It was a demand, not a request. This fact must have gotten across because the messenger wasted no time in shuffling off, muttering something about 'spoiled brats' when he thought he was out of earshot.

Sasuke, not one to particularly care about the opinions of mindless idiots, made it a point to ignore the comment as he turned his piercing gaze toward the two prisoners, frowning slightly. He couldn't shake his discomfort at the fact he was supposed to bring Naruto along. He wasn't apart of this whole Voldemort business… Right?

"Dobe." The young man hissed out, fixing his gaze on the usual cheerful blonde, who was simply staring at him with an odd sense of being solemn. Ah, but as was Naruto's way, there was still evidence of determination in his eyes. So much so, in fact, that Sasuke was quite sure that the blonde was going to jump at him the moment he opened the gate. "Che." He was starting to understand where Shikamaru was coming from when he always remarked about how troublesome people were.. Which, considering the fact Sasuke had no intention of turning into the lazy genius, couldn't be a good sign.

Looking away from Naruto, Sasuke allowed his gaze to settle on Harry instead, musing with mild amusement that the wizard was probably going to jump at him too. The older boy looked absolutely livid at the mentioning of Voldemort and though Harry had generally decided against attacking the shinobi on earlier occasions, Sasuke suspected that his current rage would lapse his judgment. Of course, Harry was hardly a threat, and if asked Sasuke would pointedly deny that he considered Naruto a threat either, but this whole situation was going to prove annoying regardless.

Just as he has expected, Naruto lunged out at him as soon as the traitor had slid the gate open. The Uchiha found his attack quite predictable, though, and easily managed to evade his attacks, catching sight of Harry out of the corner of his eye.

Harry moved forward quickly, brushing past the two males and toward the ever-dingy hall, casting a glance over his shoulder at Naruto. He had no intention of leaving the blonde behind, but he was well aware that he'd have to find his wand in order to have even the slightest chance of helping. Sasuke was quick-minded, however, and reacted swiftly to Harry's attempt at escaping. The wizard hadn't even noticed the two kunai being thrown his way until they had already hit the baggy part of his ropes, the strength of the throw causing them to lodge into the stone wall- Successfully pinning the Potter boy where he stood.

Sasuke had Naruto in a tight hold, the blonde's arms pinned behind his back as Sasuke applied a bit of pressure, perhaps in warning, as Naruto growled and gritted his teeth. "Bastard!" Twisting out of the Uchiha's grasp, he aimed a kick at the boy's stomach, recoiling at last minute in order to throw himself at the prodigy, pulling out a kunai as he did so.

Sasuke's back was pressed firmly against the wall, one of his wrists successfully pinned above his head while the other held the hilt of his sword, the blade placed diagonally between them. If his former teammate even moved an inch closer to him, the sword would cut his flesh. Naruto's free hand had placed a kunai at the throat of his adversary, azure eyes meeting the swirling Sharigan steadily.

A draw.

Both could significantly injure the other if not kill them, but not without the risk of being hit themselves. For a few moments, though it no doubt seemed like hours to them, the two shinobis stared at each other, silently challenging the other, daring them to back away.

Ultimately, due to their positions, it was Naruto who moved away first, seeming rather reluctant to release his hold on the pale boy's wrist as well as a tad disgruntled. That had been the closest he had been to Sasuke in three years, even if their intentions had been hostile.

"…Chidori Nagashi." The words were spoken softly, his hands making the proper hand signs the instant the blonde had let him go. Blue lightening cackled about the boy's form, scorching the aspiring Hokage before he could jump away, far too close to Sasuke to avoid the attack.

Startling crimson eyes soon melted into endless black as he stared down at his fallen rival, who looked up at him from his position on the ground, orange and black jacket singed and surprise evident. The blonde attempted to sit up, only to find that he could hardly even move an inch of his body.

A smirk fluttered across Sasuke's lips, just briefly, before his expression shifted into that of his usual indifference. When he used the Chidori Nagashi as he had just now, the chakra didn't focus on anything in particular. In result of this fact, Sasuke was well aware the electricity wouldn't have killed the idiot, simply paralyze him for a short period of time- Just enough time to drag the two prisoners to Orochimaru, Sasuke was sure.

Sheathing his sword through his sash, Sasuke spared Naruto a seething glare, eyes just as cold and emotionless as many believed his heart to be. "Now that you're done fooling around," the teenager began, pulling Naruto up by the front of his jacket. "we have somewhere to be."

Harry sneered at the Uchiha when his gaze moved toward him, tugging on his robe persistently, unwilling to be forced into submission. Cursing sharply under his breath, agitated that the material of his attire, no matter how worn, refused to tear and set him free.

Sasuke, had he been the type to do so, would have sighed at just how annoying his little job was turning out to be. Now, he was fully capable of escorting petty prisoners, but the fact Naruto was one of those captives was making the whole predicament rather complicated. One half of him found nothing wrong with handing Naruto over, letting Orochimaru and Voldemort do whatever they wished with the Kyuubi vessel. After all, doing so would certainly sever his ties once and for all. But the other half of him, the stronger half, didn't like it at all.

"I advise you not to give me any trouble, Potter. I can stop you as well." Sasuke stated coolly, striding forward purposely before pulling the two kunai from their place on the wall, slipping them back into hiding before he motioned for Harry to start walking. Harry growled, noticing that Sasuke hadn't even bothered to grab hold of his arm, proving just how confident the shinobi was that Harry wouldn't be a match for him; but did as he was bid regardless. Perhaps.. Perhaps this was his chance to face off against Voldemort, paying the dark lord for all the heartache he had caused. But what could he do without a wand?

The dark-haired fifteen-year-old hoisted Naruto up a bit more until the other was firmly against his chest. Slinging the blonde's arm around his neck before position his own arm around Naruto's shoulders, Sasuke followed after Harry nonchalantly.

* * *

When the three males entered the lavished living quarters, all who were presence glanced in their direction, some briefly while others observed them more carefully. Kabuto dully noted that, based on the state Naruto was in, there had indeed been a scuffle involving the former companions. Ah, but the medical-nin supposed that that was to be expected and almost chuckled when he noticed that both of them seemed a bit uncomfortable with their close proximity.

Just as Naruto was just barely regaining the feeling in his legs, Sasuke loosened his grip on him completely, letting the blonde drop ungracefully to the floor with an 'oof!'

"Che! What, is this place crammed with petty snake-addicts or something?" Naruto inquired loudly, looking towards the corner of the room. "I wonder if he's obsessed with dark-haired bustards, too!"

Sasuke viably twitched, well aware that the comment had been more so a jab at him rather than an acute observation. But upon looking to where Naruto was, he was surprised to see that the first part of his comment was quite accurate. A man, cloaked in a long black robe, stood with a rather large snake at his side. The creature only earned indifference from Sasuke, however, whose time with Orochimaru had made him accustomed to being around such animals. Besides, though the reptile was of a great size, the one Orochimaru summoned was definitely bigger.

The boy did not fail to notice that someone's attention seemed to be locked on the strange man before them, the pure hatred that radiated off him seeming to cling to the air- Whoever this Voldemort character was, his mere presence obviously managed to piss Harry potter off.

The boy-who-lived scowled darkly, glaring at Voldemort with all the loathing he could muster which, needless to say, was quite a lot. On the other side of Sasuke, a similar disgust was being directed towards Orochimaru, Naruto's blue eyes narrowed.

Really, the poor Uchiha prodigy must have disrespected the Gods some how, to be stuck with such fools.

Harry was shouting something at Voldemort, but Sasuke really wasn't paying attention. His focus had stirred over to the figures in similar dress as the dark lord, all lingering near their leader. The prodigy was able to glimpse a strange mark on some of them, at least the ones who allowed their skin on their arms to be visible, and his hand unconsciously went to his own cursed seal.

"I suppose you've brought the wand, Voldemort-Kun?"

Orochimaru's voice cut through the room with surprising ease, everyone's focus shifting to the reason they were there.

Voldemort seemed to scowl, hissing softly that he was to be addressed as 'lord' before answering. "Yes, yes. But for such an artifact, it seems quite… Unfair for your payment to be just one mere boy."

The snake sannin's eyes flashed slightly, but no anger was evident when he spoke. In fact, he almost appeared… Amused, as if it was all just a game. Naturally, that was precisely what the man could have considered it, being Orochimaru. "Those were the terms we agreed on. You came to me, Voldemort-Kun." Apparently, either Orochimaru hadn't heard Voldemort's cross demand on what to be called or he was simply ignoring it. Frankly, the later was most probable.

The power-hungry wizard hissed once more, glaring darkly at his so-called ally, stroking his snake's damp skin when she curled around his legs affectionately. His gaze was hard and cold, however, not liking the fact he had just been reminded that he had been the one to request Orochimaru's aid in the first place. "You need me just as much as you claim that I need you, don't fool yourself."

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, glaring lightly at the man before him before smirking. "What more do you want?"

"Him."

All eyes turned to the boy Voldemort was referring to, who's expression was slightly quizzical.

"Naruto?" Sasuke murmured in mild confusion, but his bewilderment was quickly replaced with a searing anger he could hardly control.

"My… Resources have informed me that he's quite special. His abilities would allow me an even larger upper hand for my side. The wand would give you the same leverage for your own wars. It's a fair trade, you should be grateful for my generosity." Voldemort drawled, glancing towards the ceiling.

Orochimaru's patience was slowly running thin, that was obvious, but he wasn't able to get in a reply.

Harry moved sharply forward, restless and so irate that his judgment was slipping. He cared not that he didn't have a wand to protect himself, nor the fact that he was in enemy territory. The boy had gotten more aggressive over the years, his need to finish Voldemort off before he killed anyone else important to him becoming close to an obsession. Sirius was gone and wouldn't be returning- Harry would make sure no one else was sacrificed for the dark lord's petty ideals. However, someone else beat him to the snake-wizard.

Sasuke's body had practically moved on its own, bringing him before Voldemort as soon as the other had confirmed his interest in the blonde shinobi. "Whatever the hell you're giving Orochimaru is no doubt worth as much as you're getting. You wanted the Potter kid and that's who you're going to get. Leave. Naruto. Out. Of. This."

If the prodigy noticed that various wands being pointed at him, he didn't show it. To his credit, his resolve didn't even wither a bit, enraged Sharigan eyes staring up at Voldemort with obvious resentment. The tip of Voldemort's wand was placed at his throat, the older man likely wanting nothing more than the curse the arrogant Uchiha into oblivious. "You insolent boy!" Voldemort spat, barely taking notice of the future Hokage who was quickly coming over to Sasuke's side.

* * *

**Kyki's Corner**

Hola! Finally, the chapter is finished! I have to apologize for my slow updating. I've been distracted and a bit lazy lately. But part of the reason is also because I want to think ahead a bit before posting each chapter. It's really suck if I backed my self into a corner somehow. Anyway, I'm not entirely happy with this chapter, but it'll suffice. I'd like to thank all my reviewers as well. You make me smile. :-3


	4. Chapter 4

**Misleading Contradictions**

_Chapter Four_

Tanned fingers curled around Sasuke's arm, jerking him backwards a few feet. "What the hell do you think you're doing?! I can take care of myself, I don't need you to stick up for me. What do you care, anyway?!"

Cold, piercing red eyes seemed to harden as his gaze slowly lifted to meet furious blue ones. Cobalt met scarlet and the atmosphere intensified. As the two boys stared at one another for what seemed like eternity, no one else in the room mattered at all. They couldn't hear the soft, curious chattering of the Death Eaters; nor the hissing of an infuriated Voldemort. Naturally, just as their hearing blocked out all other sound, their sight focused on only the other, as if Orochimaru wasn't currently looking at them with an unreadable expression, as if the glares they were receiving didn't matter at all.

Then, as quickly as it had been cast, the spell broke and Sasuke realized both what he had just been about to do as well _who_ it was for. Suddenly overcome with obvious anger and frustration, the ebony-haired boy pulled away from Naruto's grip sharply, glaring at him indignantly. "Don't be so foolish. I wasn't trying to protect the likes of you. He was overstepping his boundaries, demanding so much from Orochimaru." Sasuke growled out, looking pointedly away from the blonde.

Kabuto sighed softly in what could have been exasperation. He had long since gotten used to Sasuke's habit of 'forgetting who he was talking to,' since the Uchiha had the tendency of speaking to even Orochimaru with an air of defiance. Despite that fact, the spy was a tad surprised at Sasuke's livid reaction. Naturally, he suspected that the traitor still harbored some old ties to Konoha, particularly when it came to Naruto, but it wasn't like the boy to loose his cool so easily. "Voldemort-Sama.." Kabuto started coolly, moving forward to place a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "It isn't very wise to threaten your host's subordinates." He remarked, nearly rolling his eyes when Sasuke shrugged his hand off of him.

It was debatable as to who would win if a battle were to break out in the underground lair. Neither side knew much about the other's abilities, since shinobi and wizards had rather different ways of fighting. But in the current situation, Voldemort would be at quite the disadvantage. Not only would he and his followers be out numbered, but they just had magic to rely on. The shinobi, on the other hand, were skilled in both jutsu and regular fighting. Indeed, the time for their alliance to break would come, but Voldemort knew he couldn't attack just yet… Regardless of how much he wanted to teach the Uchiha a lesson about holding his tongue in the presence of beings who were so obviously superior. "Unless I get the Kyuubi, you will not be receiving the wand."

"And if I do not get the wand, then you will not be getting the Potter boy." Orochimaru countered lightly, though his gaze was transfixed on his future host.

Orochimaru may have been many things, but an idiot was not one of them. He wasn't nearly naïve enough to believe that Sasuke's outburst had been for his benefit, especially since the Uchiha didn't give a damn about whether Orochimaru was treated with the proper respect or not. The boy had clearly spoken out for Naruto's well-being, regardless of whether or not the Uchiha wished to admit it. The thought caused the snake-sannin's eyes to narrow, not liking the concept of _his_ Sasuke still clinging onto the ties of the past.

"You'll regret this." Voldemort's statement was spoken without even a hint of doubt, a pure declaration rather than an assumption. The Dark Lord was not one to be trifled with, especially when it came to his goals. He needed Harry Potter and at the moment, Orochimaru and his shinobi were the only ones standing in his way. As one could imagine, that simply wasn't acceptable for the wizard. Indeed, Orochimaru would bemoan his insolence, as would the rest of the troublesome little ninja- Voldemort would make sure of that.

Though no more words were actually spoken between the two, it was as if Orochimaru had dismissed the other man and the Death Eaters started to file out of the room, aware of the fact that were being scrutinized. Paying them no mind, Voldemort locked his predatory gaze on Harry, promising his rapidly approaching demise.

Harry, not one to cower, met the challenge with admirable fury and confidence, assuring the dark wizard's downfall with his own intense glare. Voldemort followed his subordinates out and the whole group seemed to disappear, though not even the shinobi were surprised that the wizards were capable of such.

"Sasuke-Kun," Orochimaru spoke at last, seeming untroubled with the current situation. "your nerve is certainly impressive, but you might want to consider being more careful of your words." He remarked, though it was obvious by both his tone and expression that he didn't expect the Uchiha to heed to his suggestion. After all, Sasuke was rather stubborn.

The ebony-haired youth merely scoffed, preventing any emotion to flicker across his expression. Although his composure remained ever-stoic, inwardly Sasuke was greatly troubled by that day's events. He was well aware that his antics had been foolish and perhaps even hotheaded, as much as he hated to admit it. But for some reason the measly thought of Naruto falling into Voldemort's horrid clutches had infuriated him, overwhelmed him with urges to protect the blond.

Worse yet was the fact that the snake sannin had noticed his resurfacing _connection_ the Kyuubi vessel and his former existence in Konoha- Sasuke was certain of this, for Orochimaru's previous staring was far too perceptive to be that of aimless observing. If Orochimaru doubted Sasuke's loyalty, the prodigy was quite sure that he'd be tested and he knew for a fact that outside of training, he'd prefer to spend as less time as possible with the older man.

Keeping that in mind, Sasuke walked past the others and toward the door, not sparing them even a glance. Clearly he had no intention of bringing the two captives back to their cell, but considering the fact the job could easily be placed on one of the actual guards, Sasuke found no reason to explain himself. The door to Orochimaru's chambers closed with a slam.

* * *

Two weeks passed without any significant occurrences. Voldemort had yet to make an appearance and as far as Sasuke knew, nothing regarding him had been decided. The Uchiha's visits with Orochimaru had increased and he noticed bitterly that the older man was handling him even more roughly than usual- As if he were reminding the prodigy that he belonged to him and him alone. Indeed, Orochimaru had no intention of sharing.

Still, the sannin never mentioned Naruto, much to Sasuke's relief. He could endure the pain and the nightmares, even the shame. But if Orochimaru had verbally questioned his feelings toward the blonde shinobi, Sasuke wasn't so sure that he would have been able to be too convincing.

And with Orochimaru's doubts would come the shattering of his own resolve.

Sasuke couldn't afford to break free from his denial, not when the three years were finally coming to a close. Not when he was the closest he had ever been to being strong enough to defeat his brother and make his family proud.

Not once in the past two weeks had Sasuke ventured toward the dungeon area and he avoided doing so at all costs. He fully expected to continue that strategy, really. After all, 'out of sight, out of mind' as they say.

Absently, the male reached into his the folds of his attire and withdrew a stick that, though he had been told otherwise, looked utterly useless. At first, Harry's wand had been in Orochimaru's possession but recently Sasuke had been allowed to take it, since Harry's attempts at summoning it had diminished over time. The traitor simply couldn't fathom what was so special about it, however, no matter how long he mused over it. Orochimaru had mentioned wanting a wand from Voldemort, but Sasuke didn't see why the man didn't just use the twerp's.

The ebony-haired teenager made his way down the vast corridor and toward the kitchen. It was well past lunchtime and he hadn't had time to eat anything that day, far too busy distracting himself with training so that his thoughts wouldn't trail to something- or someone- that would weaken him. Not that he succeeded anyway, of course.

Shrugging it off, Sasuke made it a point to ignore the others who resided within the room, answering any greetings with a curt nod and nothing more. As he rummaged through the cabinets in search of something potentially edible, bits and pieces of conversation reached his ears.

"How long do you think that Kyuubi-fellow will last without food? An average human can go three weeks, but with that demon's influence… Do you think we can pull off even more time?"

"I dunno, probably. For someone who's been denied food for the past two weeks, that Uzumaki doesn't look and scrawny as he should. The wizard isn't looking too good, though."

"Then I guess we'll continue starving him for a little while more. Orochimaru-Sama told us not to kill either of 'em, but he never said anything about not having some fun."

"Heh, yeah! And I've gotta say, I had a lot of fun beating the shit out of them. Uzumaki fought back a bit, but I managed to get in some pretty good punches. The Potter kid hardly stood a chance. His head's gotta be hurting-"

The two sound shinobi's discussion was promptly interrupted by the shattering of glass. Startled, gazes snapped to the source of the noise, only to see the young Uchiha standing at the counter, his right hand bleeding from gripping the shards that had formerly been a glass of water.

"Eer, Sasuke-Sama, you okay?" One of them asked hesitantly, staring at the boy in confusion.

"I'm fine." Sasuke grit out, hastily cleaning up the mess he had made before running his hand under cold water, glaring at nothing in particular as the red-tinted water ran down the drain.

* * *

Sound was never a really bright place, a majority of the lair being located underground. Still, the nights truly took the cake as far as bleakness went. The torches cast an eerie glow upon the dungeon's wall, making the hall appear even more ominous than it usually was.

Footsteps were soft as the youth made his way down the hall, mentally blocking out the groans of agonizing prisoners. He stopped in front of one particular cell and peered inside.

Neither of the two occupants were asleep, though Sasuke really couldn't blame them. It had taken Sasuke nearly a year before he had been able to rest with a decent amount of ease. The Uchiha observed the two keenly for a moment and, true to the guard's words earlier that day, both seemed to have been putting up with violence. Bruises laced Harry's pale arms and his brown hair was messy and matted. There were cracks in the lenses of his glasses and Sasuke could make out some dried blood on his robes. The older boy looked significantly thinner than he remembered as well, which meant that the shinobi hadn't been lying when they spoke of their little games with the two prisoners.

Naruto looked much better off, his skills preventing him from receiving too much of a beating. Any bruises he ended up having faded away after a while anyway, due to Kyuubi's insistent healing abilities. Still, he looked paler than usual and had lost a bit of weight as well. Though Sasuke would never admit it, he was also silently pleased to see that the idiot's eyes were just as bright and defiant as ever, despite his treatment.

"Sasuke."

Not bothering to reply to Naruto's greeting, he reached into the bag he had been carrying and two boxes through the bars. Sasuke wasn't sure what had possessed him to do it, but he ended up making each of the two captives a meal when he had been making his own. He was about to state that they weren't poisonous but stopped when he noticed that Naruto had already began to eat from his bento.

The Uchiha rolled his eyes at the other's antics. The food could have been tainted for all Naruto knew, yet he hadn't even hesitated in gulping down the meal. _Maybe he's just really hungry and didn't care. Or he's just an idiot. Probably the later._

As if sensing Sasuke's thoughts, Naruto paused from eating and looked at the other directly in the eyes. "You wouldn't poison me."

"Oh? And just what makes you so sure?" Sasuke inquired, either genuinely curious or just humoring the aspiring Hokage.

"'Cause you're too much of a bastard to let me die that way. You'd want the satisfaction of killing me in battle."

An unsettling silence washed over the two, their thoughts no doubt drifting to the dreadful fight in the valley those three long years ago.

"Oi, Harry stop staring at your food and eat it already. I know Sasuke-teme's cooking isn't all that good but at least it's something." Naruto remarked, breaking the uncomfortable silence while looking over the wizard.

"Che. It's better than anything you could cook, dobe. The only thing you can't screw up is ramen."

Harry gave Naruto a look of mild uncertainty, both skeptical of how harmless the food was and too prideful to accept it from an enemy. Still, hunger won out over common sense and soon he, too, was indulging.

No words were exchanged as the two ate their food, Sasuke just as silent and stoic as ever. His mind was like a bubbling pit of confusion, berating comments, and disappointment. He shouldn't have cared whether Naruto starved to death or whether the guards beat the poor boy over and over again like they had. Naruto's fate shouldn't have concerned him. At all.

And yet, it had. The guard's words had enlightened a strange possessiveness within the Uchiha, as if no one had the right to belittle the prisoner besides Sasuke himself. It was a preposterous notion, really, to think that he held any claim over the other boy- Sasuke was well aware of that. But regardless, he found such emotions sparking to the surface and try as he might, any attempts at pushing them away were failing.

Sasuke hated his weakness.

Within moments the temperature dropped remarkably, causing the brunette to shiver. Looking up just in time to see the others shudder as well, proving that they had noticed the change in condition also, Harry glanced at their surroundings. The chill was something he found regrettably familiar, as if the claws of death and wretchedness were reaching out for him. He knew that feeling, oh yes, he knew it well.

Telling himself that it was certainly impossible for his assumptions to be true, since surely _**it** _was no where near Orochimaru's lair, the emerald-eyed wizard urged his heart to calm.

All tranquility shattered, however, when Harry finally caught sight of what was before him.

The dark figure glided eerily across the floor as he approached the only mortal outside of the horrid cell, bringing with it a sense of pure dread and hostility. Shadowy robes seemed to cling to no actual flesh, the creature looking more so like an apparition than anything alive.

Sasuke, having no doubt sensed the grotesque presence behind him, whirled around in preparation to attack, but it was already far too late. Any emotion even remotely pleasant was sucked out of him immediately, eyes fading from black to red and than black again, like an endless shift in identity. The creature was not anything the teenager had ever encountered before and he found himself unable to move or utter a sound.

Memories of blood and death quickly overwhelmed his mind, taking control and drowning him in a sea of devastation.

Naruto had watched it all with a look of alarm, jumping to his feet in an attempt to warn the other, shouting at him to 'move away from it, bastard! Don't just stand there!' But his words landed on deaf ears and soon he, too, began to feel the fiend's effects.

A piercing scream escaped the Uchiha's throat as his thoughts shifted completely to that of his bloodstained history. Images played over and over again in his mind like a broken record, the death of his childhood and family appearing at full force.

The shriek startled Harry out of his temporary state of shock and he fought fiercely against the Dementor's influence. He blocked out the screams of his mother as his mind raced for a solution. A wand! Yes, yes, he needed a wand so that he could cat a spell… Oh but what spell? What spell?!

His mind was so jumbled that he could hardly think straight. But Harry knew he had to do something, because Sasuke's screams were starting to get even more frantic and Naruto's fight against his own inner demons was starting to fail rather miserably.

"Accio wand. Accio wand!" The words were murmured over and over again, and much to his surprise, it actually worked. His wand was jerked from it's confinement within Sasuke's attire and it flew sharply into Harry's awaiting hand.

Closing his eyes, Harry mentally prepared himself for the spell, digging up every happy memory he could muster. He thought about his mother and father, about Ron and Hermione, and even about Quidditch.

"Expecto Patronum!"

After only two attempts the stag finally appeared, it's transparent form casting a bright light as the Dementor backed off in obvious pain, disappearing into the darkness once more.

Sasuke and Naruto, minds fuzzy and barely coherent, turned bewildered gazes toward Harry.

"Dementors." Harry breathed, pausing before explaining himself further. "They're Voldemort's… Servants, I guess." Not bothering to go into any more detail, he pointed his wand at Sasuke, his former confidence and certainty returned. Now **_he_** had the upper hand. "Let us go."

The Uchiha stared at him indignantly, but stood his ground, making no move to comply with the order. He could hear screams coming from the other parts of the lair and could sense the presence of wizards and Dementor's alike. Apparently Voldemort had choose that night to make his move.

After a moment Sasuke finally unlocked the cell, the heavy metal door swinging open with a soft 'clink.' The whole place was in complete chaos, Sasuke knew, and he decided that he really didn't care whether Harry was free or not. However, he was quite surprised that Naruto refused to come out from where he swelled.

"Naruto, what are you doing?" Harry inquired, keeping his wand pointed at the Uchiha.

The blonde crossed his arms stubbornly, fixing them both with a look of determination. "If I leave, all my work at getting Sasuke back will go to waste. I won't come out until he frees me… Not because he's being threatened, but because he wants to."

Sasuke frowned at those words, silently noting that his former friend's eyes seemed just a tad sadder than before. _Damnit._

"Fine, dobe. I'll come."

With one little lie, everything could change.

* * *

**Kyki's Corner**

Finally, chapter four! I can't believe how many reviews I ended up getting for the last one. 22 reviews! Oh, I love you all!

Now, before any of you ask how Harry could summon his wand without actually having a wand to use, that'll be answered in future chapters. In fact, many questions will have answers later on. nn Some lovely SasuNaruSasu goodness will also come eventually, though that this point they're each just trying to evaluate their own feelings.

I'm not sure what I'll do with Harry as far as romance goes. A possible one-sided HarrySasu could possibly work, but ultimately I think I'll keep him loveless. What do you guys thinks? Sasuke and Naruto are the main focus of this story, after all, and although many things happened because of Harry, his role isn't quite as large.

As usual, I don't have a beta, so please disregard any mistakes/typos I've made.

Anyway, thank you so much for reading. :-)


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